(With apologies to ZZ Top)
Hash shirt, hiking shoes
But I don't know where I'm goin' to
Fresh powder, bright chalk
And now I know where to walk
Gonna make it ON-HOME without any fails
'Cause Hashers go crazy about a well-marked trail
Steep hills, thick grass
But I ain't losin' my ass
Checkpoints, creek beds
But I'll keep movin' ahead
Gonna make it ON-HOME without any fails
'Cause Hashers go crazy 'bout a well-marked trail
Commenter Kevin asked for a post showing how a Hash trail is marked, so I will attempt to do so using yesterday’s trail as an example of a well-marked trail. The trail itself was overall the easiest I’ve done in recent memory. I forgot to turn on my tracker, but the Hare said the short trail was 4K. I finished in just over an hour, so I doubt it was actually that long.
The climb I did was of average difficulty and length, but damn, my poor old lungs were making me wonder if my days in the hills are numbered. I had to pause a couple of times to use my inhaler, but I finally made it to the top. After that, it was clear sailing without any issues. In fact, I was surprised to find myself at the proverbial end of the trail much sooner than I expected.
Let’s do it again through pictures, shall we?
The Hare, Yogini, did something a little unusual by demonstrating some of the markings we would encounter on the trail during the meet-up at the VFW.
So, you have the powder on the ground, which indicates you are on the trail. The chalk arrow points in the direction you should go, and the “1” confirms the marking is for the day’s trail, #1541. That’s important because we often encounter marks from previous Hashes, and without a number, you may follow an old trail. The circle with the “x” is a checkpoint. Some Hares will place a checkpoint when there is an intersection of trails. This requires the Hashers to explore the various options until they find the right path. If they come to the three lines, it means On-Back; you are on the wrong trail. You know you are on the right trail when you find a chalk or powder marker, which indicates you are “On-On!” I personally despise checkpoints and never incorporate them into my trails as a Hare.
The Hare provided last-minute guidance to the kennel at the VFW starting point.And we are On-On!A chalk arrow points the way.And the powder on the ground affirms you are indeed on the right trail.Ah, the dreaded checkpoint. The original intent and purpose of a checkpoint was to help close the gap between fast and slow Hashers. So, whoever got there first would explore the options, find the true trail, and then indicate the proper direction with a new chalk marking. That doesn’t happen here in the Subic Hash; it’s every Hasher for themself. And as the person who is perennially at the back of the pack, it just puts me further behind. I guessed right on my first try at this checkpoint, though.Powder on a tree…...and chalk on a rockDo you see the arrow?On-Up!Each step is one step closer to the top.By golly, I think we done it!My little townAn Easter mountain viewJust follow the powder, and you can’t go wrongOne of the factors I consider important to a well-marked trail is frequency and consistency. There should always be some kind of mark when there is more than one option, like at an intersection. I also like to see a mark at regular intervals (I think every 50 steps or so is good). If I haven’t seen a mark in a while, I know I must have missed the trail, so I can turn around and find it.Plodding alongThese kids seem to know when I’m coming…Let’s go thataway!As usual, the runners on the long trail passed me before I finished the short trail.Babes in the shadePowder AND an arrow…I like it!Made it to Alta VistaSeems clear enoughHard not to see that turnWe exited Alta Vista in an unusual way, climbing those steps up to the water tank, then coming back down through a squatter village.The view of Alta Vista from the water tank. That’s actually the street I live on down there.“Beer Near” is probably my favorite trail marking.I know the way from hereOn-Home at Johansson’sA gathering of HashersI had the chicken cordon bleu for my post-hike nourishmentHash GashCircle up!It’s nice on ice!A visiting Hasher from Puerto Galera is given a special Subic greetingWatching the festivitiesHere’s a useful tip: DO NOT wear new shoes to the Hash. Unless you want to drink out of them.Turns out, it was also our visitor’s birthday. Happy 28th, and enjoy the cake we made you!
After the Hash, I had some more beer at Sloppy Joe’s. I even bought Jamaica a lady drink. When I was walking back towards my end of town in search of a nightcap, I heard Jenn calling out to me from across the highway at Whiskey Girl. So, I got to finish the day with some cuddling. That’s always nice!
Here’s the original version of the song I re-wrote for this blog post:
6 thoughts on “A well-marked trail”
You’d think that drinking out of a new shoe would be less gross than drinking out of an old one.
I appreciate the photos and the explanations. Very educational. How long does it take for trail markings to fade? A single rain? I imagine it depends on the type of marking, too.
Well, it is not a new shoe after wearing it on the Hash trail. But they do pour the beer through one of your dirty socks, so there’s that. Honestly, that is one ritual I would refuse to participate in. Granted, I wouldn’t be foolish enough to wear new shoes to the Hash, but still…
A good rain washes away the powder. The chalk marks tend to last a little longer, but they fade with time…
“Just follow the powder, and you can’t go wrong” Sounds like a quote from Tony Montana in the epic movie Scarface. Peace Out!
So if I understand the logic correctly…
1. New shoes become dirty after one walk.
2. Old shoes remain dirty after one walk.
3. Result after one walk = dirty either way.
The logical conclusion would seem to be that it doesn’t matter whether you come with new or old shoes: it’s all dirty in the end. What is it about new shoes, then, that deserves a special warning? I’m not sure I follow. There’s some X factor that I’m missing.
There’s the problem, Kevin. It is illogical to attempt to apply logic to the Hash shenanigans. It’s just a silly ritual; the first time you wear a new pair of shoes to the Hash, you drink out of them. For no other reason than they tell you to. I think it is gross and potentially unhealthy.
Soju, that kind of powder would make for an expensive Hash trail, that’s for sure.
You’d think that drinking out of a new shoe would be less gross than drinking out of an old one.
I appreciate the photos and the explanations. Very educational. How long does it take for trail markings to fade? A single rain? I imagine it depends on the type of marking, too.
Well, it is not a new shoe after wearing it on the Hash trail. But they do pour the beer through one of your dirty socks, so there’s that. Honestly, that is one ritual I would refuse to participate in. Granted, I wouldn’t be foolish enough to wear new shoes to the Hash, but still…
A good rain washes away the powder. The chalk marks tend to last a little longer, but they fade with time…
“Just follow the powder, and you can’t go wrong” Sounds like a quote from Tony Montana in the epic movie Scarface. Peace Out!
So if I understand the logic correctly…
1. New shoes become dirty after one walk.
2. Old shoes remain dirty after one walk.
3. Result after one walk = dirty either way.
The logical conclusion would seem to be that it doesn’t matter whether you come with new or old shoes: it’s all dirty in the end. What is it about new shoes, then, that deserves a special warning? I’m not sure I follow. There’s some X factor that I’m missing.
There’s the problem, Kevin. It is illogical to attempt to apply logic to the Hash shenanigans. It’s just a silly ritual; the first time you wear a new pair of shoes to the Hash, you drink out of them. For no other reason than they tell you to. I think it is gross and potentially unhealthy.
Soju, that kind of powder would make for an expensive Hash trail, that’s for sure.